J.P. Choquette's Blog, page 13

The Power of a “Should” List

If you are a creative-type, you’ve got a cacophony of noise going on in your head that sounds a little bit like this:

“I have to remember to pick up canvases the next time I’m at the art supply store.”

“Ugh, don’t forget to write that guest post for XX, she needs it by Friday.”

“Did I remember to respond to that email?” (this one often shows up around 2:00 a.m.)

The truth is we all have too much on our plates and swirling in our brains, whether we identify as being a creative or not. 


So what do we do with all this noise? 

You don't have to be this organized in order to capture all that data in your head ... Here’s what not to do: don’t try to remember it all. 
Attempting to remember all these “shoulds” is a recipe for disaster. Something will slip through the cracks. Something will get lost in the shuffle. Something will end up not only being unproductive, but likely throwing a wrench in your well-organized plans.

Instead, write it down.

Make four lists: one for home stuff, one for work stuff, one for personal stuff and one for creative stuff. This can be done simply and easily just with a pen and paper. Or you could get all fancy and use something like this project tracking tool. 

Once you’ve got your pages titled appropriately, start throwing stuff onto them. Carry them with you or at least keep them close at hand--maybe tucked into your Dayrunner or other organizer. I love Erin’s “My Frugal Home Binder System.” Write it down ugly ... Don’t worry about making these lists pretty or in a certain order. Just write down the next thing that comes to mind whenever it needs capturing. You can work with the lists later and make them as complicated and/or beautifully designed as you like.

It will take a big, huge load off of your brain to have these lists going. No longer will it feel as though there is a tornado of information, facts, bits of assignments or “don’t forgets” swirling in your already fatigued mind. Now you can easily and quickly jot the item(s) down and move on with your day.

Note: I originally read a variation of this plan in The Seven-Minute Solution, by Allyson Lewis, a book that I’d highly recommend.

Hope the power of the “Should” list is helpful for you! If you have questions or want to tell me how it works for you, please get in touch. 

Think you "Don't have time" to Write? Have 15 Minutes?

Today I'm excited to share a guest post that I wrote for The Write Life. (You might remember my mention of this awesome site?) The title is: How to Write a Novel, 15 Minutes at a Time.

Hope you find it helpful~Happy Monday! 

PS If you're looking for more detailed help with the 15-minute writing method (and some personal accounts of my own early failures in writing) you may now pre-order the e-Guide. 

The Changing World of Sales ... for Creatives

Remember when "sales" meant this? "Online content is king! You must, must, must know SEO and implement linkbacks and socialize online every day. Every minute of every day!"

"Forget that email stuff. That's a bunch of bunk. Real sales come from phone calls or in-person meetings." 

Within the span of a week, I've heard variations of these themes at two business seminars. While one, led by a marketing guru, focused on the importance of online marketing tools, branding and all sorts of other "marketing-speak," the second basically said this: "If you aren't making cold calls, you aren't selling."  Which way is right? Like many other things, the way in which entrepreneurs and creatives sell can be worlds away from "the norm." Both of the gentleman presenting these seminars had been in business a long time. Both were successful. Both were what I'd call "salesman" types. 

But does that mean that one was right and the other wrong?

I don't think so. 

A lot of what works depends on your business model. Years ago it was true that if you made art/craft products, you would be found at an arts/crafts show. A lucky few could afford brick and mortar structures. So if you were a creative, you "did the rounds" every spring and fall. 

Some creatives still find attending real life events an important part of their business. But with sites like Etsy or these 10 others , it's easier than ever to sell online without attending a single in-person event. On the other hand ... Not everyone is selling "product" per say. What about creativity experts like Braid Creative & Consulting , creative biz strategist Tara Gentile or April over at Blacksburg Belle ? 

When you have a service to offer, not necessarily a physical product, content marketing is likely king (or queen, as the case may be). 

So, what's a creative to do? 

Assess your product. Selling a real, physical item is different than selling a service. Look at your life. Are you working full-time? Taking care of kids and/or aging parents? Volunteering 15 hours a week? Your schedule can be a great place to look in order to see what works for you. Go with your gut. If you are hopeful that you'll magically turn into a sweet-talking salesperson but in reality break out in hives at the thought of making a cold call, you've got your answer.
That's not to say that one can't learn skills--absolutely, one can. If you're an introvert and desperately want to be a public speaker, presenter or salesperson, then who am I to tell you that you can't? But you'll have an easier time working with, rather than against, your natural makeup. 

What do you think about marketing and sales as a creative? Have you found any outside-the-box ways to make something unique work for you? Would love to hear your thoughts! 

January Blog Challenge Results and New February Challenge

What do you like to experiment with? Experimentation, in my mind, is not only hugely fun but helpful. You may remember when we talked about getting un-stuck and trying new things . There's a bunch of positives involved with saying to yourself, "I don't have all the answers. I'm not sure that this new thing will provide me with anything other than failure (and potential ridicule), but I'm trying it anyway." 

In January I embarked on a 20-day blog challenge--you can read about my reasons for this here and here . What I've learned through this process: 
I remembered how much I LOVE blogging. There is something so satisfying about it and I love to share not only the pretty pictures of my day, but hopefully send some inspiration and motivation your way. The idea for the new series, From Fear to Flourish , came during this 20-day experiment. I'm psyched to embark on this new adventure and learn more about the ways that you plowed through fear and lived to tell the tale. It's reminded me to take awesome pictures. I love taking photos (I even started a board on Pinterest of Contentment in 2015) and knowing that I need photos for this blog helps me to slow down and look at things in my every day life a little differently. I've heard from some of you! Whether in the comments or via email, Facebook or Twitter, it's been great to get some feedback and connect with each of you. Thanks for taking the time.
There are other benefits from this challenge but I won't go into all the details here ... I need time to tell you about the February Challenge instead.

Remember last week when I was talking about nurturing and its importance ? Well, this month that's our focus. February and March are two of my least favorite months of the year (in New England it's the semi-end of winter and start of mud season which really is as ugly as it sounds). What better time to offer ourselves a little kindness than during these cold winter days? 

Want to join in? The challenge is simple:
Make a list of things that nurture you. It could be anything from asking a spouse or friend for a back rub to taking a bubble bath to browsing in a book shop or just noticing the way that the steam curls over your cup of tea while sitting in a sun-saturated room.Vow to incorporate one of these nurturing tasks for just 15 minutes each of 14 days this month. (I originally was thinking 20, but this is a short month and there's something special about the number 14 in February!)Tell me about your successes/challenges. You can email me at scared E catbooks (at) gmail (dot) com, or send a quick update via Facebook or Twitter. Or just leave a comment in any of the posts here. Would love to hear from you and see how you feel on the days when you meet your goal. 

Build a Creative Habit ... in Just 15 Minutes a Day

Look familiar? I have a secret. 

I'm a lazy writer. 

But I've written several books now, in spite of this fact. How? I simply learned a strategy, set some goals and kept plugging away until I met them. It's not very sexy. It wasn't super-expensive, didn't require four weeks at a posh writer's retreat or hours of counseling. 

Just showing up to write is often the hardest part of the process. 

In my soon-to-be-released book, The 15-Minute Writer: How to Write Your First Novel in Just 15 Minutes a Day, I compare the habit of writing (because really, that's what it becomes) to any other: flossing one's teeth, refraining from swearing, or starting an exercise program.  What stops you from showing up to write (or paint, or work on your business plan)?  It's helpful when you're trying to start a new habit, to begin small. Focus on just one area , Leo Babauta of the popular blog, Zen Habits says, and you will have success.

You say that you want to write ... but you don't do it. You'd like to take up painting again ... but you've been saying that for three years and have yet to pick up a brush. 

Here are three tips that might help you get started on your creative project: 
Define it.  It's hard to begin doing something without a clear idea of what that something is. Do you want to submit your first short story? Write 10 poems? Paint a landscape by April 30th? Write these goals down and ...Choose one.   And only one. I can practically hear you right now, muttering under your breath about how I just don't get it, how it's too hard to choose, how they are all equally important. I know what you're going through because I'm constantly bombarded with ideas. I love them all and sometimes it's very, very hard to select just one. But doing so doesn't mean you are saying no to the other 20. It just means you're saying, "not right now." Start Small.  Start so small that the idea seems ridiculous. "Paint for five minutes? Why even bother?" or "Work on a story for just 10 minutes? What's the point, I'll never accomplish anything that way." Oh contraire, my friend, you will accomplish something. It might be small but you can build on it again tomorrow. And the next day, and the day after that. Also, by starting small you may find that you want to keep going. Now that's a great place to be. 
Often our resistance keeps us from starting. Don't let it. Just start. Start with five minutes or 10 or 15 but do begin. And see what happens. 

From Fear to Flourish: Alexis's Story

Alexis in action at the Spartan Beast World Championship Everyone is afraid of something. From Fear to Flourish, a bi-monthly series, will share true life stories of people who did something that scared them ... and how it changed their lives for the better. 

Our first in the Fear to Flourish series is mother, writer, and athlete, Alexis Dubief, who runs the hugely popular blog, Troublesome Tots. 

Ready? Let's begin! 

Q: One time I was scared of:  

Public Humiliation. Failure. The end of my dream.

Last summer I launched a Kickstarter campaign. I also did the Spartan Beast World Championship (see picture) but that’s another terrifying story, so for today we’re going to talk about Kickstarter.

The background is that I was offered and turned down a publishing contract (I still have huge fears about this being an enormous mistake but that also is a different terrifying story). As I got more embedded in the writing and publishing process I realized that getting the book out was going to be far more expensive than I had initially realized. A Kickstarter campaign seemed like a reasonable solution to the money issue.

Q: What was that like? 

Here’s the thing about Kickstarter:

It’s all or nothing. You either make your funding goal or you get nothing. So if your goal is $10K and you come in at $9,999, you get nothing. Zilch.

It takes considerable time and money to launch a Kickstarter campaign. I did nothing else for about 3 months and invested close to $700 out of pocket just to put it together.

Kickstarter is HIGHLY PUBLIC. Which means if your campaign fails, that failure is HIGHLY PUBLIC. Everybody you have shared your campaign with (all your readers, friends, family, neighbors) will know of your failure. Your failed campaign will live on via Kickstarter for years to come. It’s a persistent and public failure.

If your campaign fails you’re fully welcome to continue to pursue your project (in my case a book), but how do you find the motivation to push forward when you’ve got a failed Kickstarter campaign under your book? If nobody cares enough to support your project, why bother to continue with it?

So essentially the Kickstarter campaign represented the test of if my book was a viable project or not. If it failed, this book which I had already dedicated almost 2 years of my life to, was also a failure. One that would hurt deeply.

So financially, personally, and emotionally, I put a lot on the line with my Kickstarter campaign. I bet the farm. The prospect of failure was terrifying.

When it was time to launch my campaign I felt nauseous and had flop sweats. Not just for like, a few minutes, I’m talking days. I felt sick to my stomach for a full week.

Q: Why did you decide to tackle this particular fear?

I realized it was going to take money to put out the book that I wanted to put out. There was no other way around it. Yes Kickstarter was a do or die bet for me. But the alternative was quitting. Terrifying was better than quitting.

Q: How did you do that? 

I don’t know if there is a method to tackling fear. For me it’s about 100% commitment. 

I also consider the worst-case scenario. The worst-case scenario was public humiliation and the end of my dream of a book. Would I die? No. Would my family be harmed in any way? No.  It would suck, but I would get through it. Eventually I could laugh about it. (There is very little you can’t laugh about if you try hard enough).

But I’ve never been a half-way sort of person. No dipping a toe in the pond. Go big or go home. So I committed to putting together the best Kickstarter campaign I could - I hired somebody to help me with video, graphic design, copyediting. (The campaign is long ended but you can see what I’m talking about here.)

I risked my own money, spent months NOT writing so I could work on it, spent an additional month promoting it (and not writing). It was a huge risk, a huge commitment, and a huge amount of money and time. If you’re going to do something DO IT. Do the best you can, commit as much as possible to making it a success. Scary or no. 

Q: Was there a particular person and/or resource that helped you in the process? 

Not really. Friends were amazingly and surprisingly supportive. My neighbor is an artist and takes a much more relaxed approach to things like this - his feedback was really helpful.

Q: What was the result? 

My goal amount was $10K (note: you don’t actually get $10K in this scenario - there are tons of costs associated with Kickstarter including rewards for backers so I needed a big enough number to cover all those costs AND leave me with enough to make the book) and I ended up with over $17K. It was thrilling AND enormously validating. I’m full of self-doubt about this book (I’m not a writer, at best I’m a well-intended hack) and I don’t have the words for how much this validation meant and still means to me. It’s like a hug, and whenever I feel low I go back to Kickstarter and look at it. An Internet hug.
Any wise or encouraging words you'd like to share that I haven't asked you about?

This (see picture above). All the best things come from taking risks. This is how we grow as people. Even if you fail, you’ll be a better person for having tried. Just do it! 

Thanks so much, Alexis, for not only sharing your inspiring story, but also for being our first guest in this series! Alexis's hugely popular blog, Troublesome Tots, provides insight into sleep issues for kids and funny, personable advice for parents. Want to reach Alexis directly? Reach out via Twitter or Facebook. 

Why Nurturing Yourself is Necessary (and how to start)

Flowers just starting to emerge after weeks of waiting! Are you good at nurturing? Your first instinct may be to say, "no." After working all day, paying the bills, making dinner or doing laundry, taking care of the kids and/or pets, there's little left in the tank to use for nurturing yourself. 

But does nurturing have to take hours? Must it involve expensive spa treatments or pricey weekend getaways?  How do you define nurturing? Often the word brings up images of a mother bending over her baby in a crib, rubbing his back and humming a lullaby. Sometimes the word nurture makes us think of a career in the medical field or teaching profession. After all, these professionals spend their days taking care of other people's needs. 

As a creative though, what does the word mean? We're told to "nurture our creativity," or maybe to "allow the muse to nurture," but what the heck does that really mean?

In a world that's rush-rush, helter-skelter, it's hard sometimes to know how to effectively nourish one's soul. How to carve out time to just be , and in being, find the creative deep down inside. ( This article lists 7 tips for doing just that.) But I don't think that nurturing has to be all about big things. Or even about adding more to one's already over-full plate. Maybe it can just be about a certain frame of mind. A certain kindness in one's inner dialogue. A little bit of contentment in one's everyday life. What do you think? 

I'm going to be embarking on another 20-day challenge in the month of February: adding 15 minutes of nurturing into each day. I'll be blogging about my progress here and, if you're interested in joining me, I would love to hear about your tips/tricks and successes (or lack thereof) with this experiment. 

Getting Un-Stuck When You Are Scared of Trying Something New

Trying new things? Wake me when it's over. Sometimes the best thing to do when you don't know what to do is S-O-M-E-T-H-I-N-G. 

Anything. 

I'm notorious for getting myself so caught up in the "what if's" and the "could happen's" that I become paralyzed at the starting gate. Not so in certain areas of my life--these, I've come to realize--are the areas where I feel more confident. 

But when it comes time to try something new business-wise, particularly in public, I start to second guess every decision. 

Should I really have said/written that?
Was that the right response? 
Couldn't I have done a better job at that if I'd only ... 

This is not only an unhealthy pattern, it's a self-destructive one. 

One can't reach big goals if they don't first take tiny steps. And one can't know what their goals even are if they don't allow themselves the freedom of potentially screwing up. Big time. Tim Ferris talks about this in his book, The Four-Hour Work Week, as does Napoleon Hill in his famous work, Think and Grow Rich.  "So, how do I get un-stuck when I'm faced with trying something new and scary?" For an example of what not to do: check out image of my cat, Magoo, above. He hasn't tried anything new in years. Look where it's gotten him!

Let's use a real-life example: this blog. For months I've been halfheartedly posting, wondering if I should just delete it from the website all together. I tried to follow what other mystery/action writers wrote about on their sites. Meg Gardiner has a great and funny blog. Hugh Howey's blog is interesting, entertaining and updated regularly. 

Problem? I wanted to write about things that I'm passionate about, not necessarily mystery/action themes all the time. Things like helping other first-time authors, entrepreneurship and creativity . But how does all of that tie in with my mystery/action novels? 

I didn't find the answer until I embarked on this January challenge . And even now, I'm still sorting out the details, clarifying my vision and future goals. 

The point is that I wouldn't have gotten even close to clarifying my new vision if I hadn't taken the leap and done this challenge. If I hadn't been open to attending an author's panel last week on a bitter cold night ... if I was content with hemming and hawing and wishing things would be different ... but not doing anything to make them so. 

So, whether you're facing a big decision like moving across the country or marrying someone, or a small one like whether or not to start working on your short story, take some action, any action in the direction you believe you should go and just see what happens. 

It takes courage for sure. But the results will likely be better than you have ever dreamed possible. 

Have you made a decision that you've been putting off for a long time out of fear or resistance? How did you feel afterward and what were the end results? 

January 23rd, 2015

I'm a weird sort of writer. I like doing my own thing and rarely feel the need to go to events focused solely on writing. Sure, I've attended writer's conferences and the occasional workshop and enjoyed them. 

But even though I'm a writer, I'm just as passionate about business. Sign me up for a course in marketing one's creative efforts or an afternoon workshop helping other first-time writers to get into a schedule and I'm happy as a clam. What I love most about both is the possibilities. Creating something new out of what wasn't there before is fascinating and exciting to me.


Which is why, sadly, I haven't paid much attention to this cool local resource, the Burlington Writers Workshop . Until last week.

I drove to Hotel Vermont (which is stunning by the way, more so in person) in downtown Burlington to attend a writer's panel. The focus on the discussion was writers and money and it was W-O-N-D-E-R-F-U-L. Not only did I get a lot out of what the speakers were saying but I chatted with a few other writers after the event and felt completely inspired when I left. 

It's funny because as a fairly introverted person, I just assumed that I didn't need to have a group or tribe as Seth Godin calls it . Besides, I have writing friends in real life and sometimes we chat via email. More often though, it's taking time to be reflective and get reprieve from the bustle that I need as a creative. 

There is something different though, really different, in sitting in a warm room on a cold, blustery winter night and talking about one's passion in life. Face to face, in the flesh. 

I loved what each of the writers had to say. They talked about being true to your own voice, setting aside the time to write as "sacred" and understanding that rejection is just part of the process and that it should be expected. They talked about social networking and putting your work out into the world, looking for a "perfect" agent and finding the energy to write after a long, tiring day at work. 

And while sometimes we assume that being creative for a living = no money, a uthor and book coach, Suzanne Kinsbury said something that I loved, "In my experience, joy has led to money. If one person can make a living fro this, why can't I?" 

Why can't you? Is there a particular situation or belief that you find holding you back? If so, what do you plan to do to change that? Or what support do you feel you need?

Why You Need to Be "Too Big for Your Britches"

My goals and dreams collage banner Has anyone ever told you not to toot your own horn? Or to get your head out of the clouds, to stop thinking of yourself as such a big shot? 

Growing up (I'm the youngest of four girls), I was told more than once to not get "too big for my britches." It's a phrase that means don't put on airs, don't toot your own horn or be a Prima donna. While most of the time this was said in a joking way, the message was clear: don't think higher of yourself than others do. 

That is complete and utter bull. 

While I'm thankful that my family taught me the important values of sharing, giving, being generous, taking care of others and not putting yourself first all the time (that's just plain selfish), it's essential that we, particularly as creatives and entrepreneurs, think of ourselves higher than others do. 

We are our own cheerleading squad, pep talk-giver, encouragement department and boss in one. It's up to us to create and follow big, messy goals . It's up to us to build ourselves up by doing things that scare the crapola out of us . Doing so helps us change and grow in ways that we can't imagine. 

Zig Ziglar, the famed inspirational speaker, told the story of being a kid and doing a really bad job at weeding in the garden. He was hot and tired and the work was boring, so he just did a slapdash job and went to tell his mother he was done. His Mom patiently explained that while this would be fine work for someone else his age, she expected more of him because he wasn't average. 

And that's how we should see ourselves: un-average. 

Able of more than others think possible. Capable of feats that we maybe aren't even aware of ... yet. Ready and willing to get too big for the box that others want to put us into.

Has anyone ever told you not to "toot your own horn" or be "too big for your britches?" What did you take from that and how do have you overcome that as an adult?